Flexible key case



l. EISENSTARK.

FLEXIBLE KEY CASE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1921.

1,403,898, Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

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; Eri x) n ?L x N vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISADORE EISENSTARK, OE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO E ISENSTARK & LIPSHI'IZ, 0! NEW YORK, N. Y., A COPARTNERSHIP CONSISTING 0F ISADORE EISE'NSTLRK AND BERNARD LIPSHITZ.

FLEXIBLE KEY CASE.

To all to hom it may concern Be it known that I, IsADoRE EISENSTARK, citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brookl n, in the county of Queens and State of ew York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Flexible Key Cases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a flexible key case, its objects being to produce a transve 'sely and otherwise flexible key case which, with ke s in it, will flex in the users pocket under movements of the body, and accordingly be unobjectionable when carried 11] garment pockets; and which is provided with an identification card holding means contiguous to, a key carrying, flexible flap that is freely bendable when the case is opened outwardly of the body of the case or convenient access to and selection of keys carried on freely movable snap hooks that are loosely connected to the flap, the identification card holding means and card when in place giving a greater or lesser degree of transverse stiffness to the keyholding end of the case.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and illustrating my invention:

1 is a plan view of the key case open.

Flg. 2 1s a cross-sectional view of the case at line 2-2 of F ig. 1 for illustration of the construction of the body of the case and a thereto sewn, flexible identification card pocket wall forming a. key flap member.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the case in its folded :condition, showing the preferred contour of the folded case.

In the drawings, the case body forming member, which is of leather or other flexible material, comprises a middle panel 1 at each edge of ,which 'is an integral cover flap 2. Each cover flap is lengthwise foldable preferably along a slanted line 3, one flap'being marginally foldable over the other flap toiform the front covering of the case. The cover flaps are severally provided with a member indicated by 4 "f a well known form of snap-button, the members 4 interlocking when the cover forming flaps are in cover forming position. The back forming panel 1 and the cover forming flaps are not necessarily tapered as shown from one end of the case to the other, but this is the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 16, 1921.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Serial No. 477,922.

preferable shape and is desirable for securing compactness. That is, the tapering shape is functional in practice. The eyeleted key flap 6 which is secured to the wider top end of the back panel, and which is pro'ectable outwardly of and beyond the wi er margin of the back panel, 1olds the bulky heads of the keys adjacent the broader portion of the back panel and case and when the free ends of the case are encased by the back panel and foldable side flaps the free ends are more or less compressed and piled one upon another adjacent the narrower portion of the back panel of the case, making a very compact package of the form shown in Fig. 3. The folded flaps when buttoned together by the fasteners 4 hold the free ends of the keys compressively in place within the casing. Moreover, the

tapering shape of the present case invo ves an economy'of material which is important in manufacturing, as compared with a more or less rectangular case.

Preferably at the broader end portion of the back panel, there is superposed on its inward surface a pocket wall and key flap carrying member 5 of flexible material; leather for example, having a key flap 6 which extends beyond the adjacent free edge of the back panel. The member 5 is stitched around its edges where it is superposed on the back panel, to the latter, by an approximately rectangular line of stitches 7. Inwardly of that portion of the seam which is nearest said free edge of the back panel, the'member 5 is transversely slit at 8 to form anopening into the pocket formed between the back panel and the member 5. Inwardly of such slit, or pocket opening, the member 5 is .cut out at 9 to provide an observation or sight hole for reading an identification card indicated b m that is located in the pocket, the card being preferably covered by a flexible piece of mica or celluloid w for protection of the writing or printing on it from abrasion by the keys. The card and the transverse covering therefor, either or both, lie normally flat between the panel 1 and the margin of the sight hole, and inwardly of the pocket hole or slit 8, the transparent cover 02' is shown sewn to the member 5 on the inward face thereof by a line of stitches 7 and the stitches 7 and the inwardly adjacent stitches 7 also preferably pass through the four margins of the transparent card covering piece;

The key carrying flap 6 formed by the extension of the member 5 beyond a free edge of the back panel has its free or outward margin provided with a transverse row of eyelets 10 in which ends of key receiving, snap hooks 11 are loosely secured with the bodies of the loose snap hooks, when the case is closed, pendent from the eyelets over the inward face of the member 5 'so that the keys attached to the snap hooks then lie over the member 5 and upon the inward face of the back panel, the key carying flap being foldable inwardly over the'member 5 and thesnap' hooks, with or without keys, as the case may be, then being covered by the closed side flaps 2.

When the case is opened with keys on the sna hook, the snap hook carrying flap is rea ily moved or'thrown outwardly, if desired, for more convenient access to and selection of the keys.

The foregoing is the now preferred form of my invention, which may be made in other forms if preferred and with or without the identification card pocket. 4

The flexible key carrying flap when opened outwardly facilitates manlpulation ofan attached ke when it is to be used What claim'is:

1. A8 a new article of manufacture a flexible ke case having atapered back panel and folda 1e, flexible, side, covering flaps therefor dimensioned to cover the tapered back panel, such back panel having at its wider end a freely flexible inturned outwardly projectable key carrying flap the free marof which is provided with a series of 40 holes, each carrying a snap hook for attachment of a key; all arranged for supporting a plurality of keys with their heads positioned adjacent a broader portion of the back panel and with their free ends compressively held together by the folded key case, adjacent a narrower portion of the back panel.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a key case comprising a flexible member having a back panel and flexible cover flaps, the back panel being provided with a pocket wall forming member having a pocket opening and a sight opening opposed to the back panel; the case also comprising an inwardly 55. foldable key covering flap provided with means for 'detachably holding keys, the foldable key coverin flap and the pocket wall forming member Twang integral; and a transparent, identification card-protecti mem hell fixed to this latter member over its sight Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York, this 15th day of 'June A. D. 1921.

ISAD ORE EISENSTAR-K. 

